Man in custody charged with deliberately ramming Warrnambool police vehicle

A Portland man accused of ramming a police vehicle in Warrnambool did not apply for bail during a brief court appearance on Tuesday.

Mitchell Cherry, 27, appeared briefly in Portland Magistrates Court via video-link from the Metropolitan Remand Centre.

A Victoria Legal Aid lawyer said the man was in the process of being allocated to a local lawyer and was listed in the same court in a week's time.

She urged the court to adjourn the case until July 16 when the breach of a corrections' order had been listed.

The adjournment application was granted and Cherry was remanded in custody again until that day.

No application for bail was made and the man, who faces charges of intentionally exposing police officer to risk by driving reckless which damaged an emergency service vehicle, was not required to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.

Earlier:

Portland man Mitchell Cherry, 27, did not appear in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court late on Friday, July 5, but his case was called.

He was remanded in custody after not making an application for bail.

A lawyer said Mr Cherry had chosen not to come into court, but getting detailed instructions from him had been difficult.

The case was adjourned for a further hearing in the Portland Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where it's expected Mr Cherry will appear via a video link with his custody setting.

There will be a bail/remand hearing.

The court was told Mr Cherry was withdrawing from illicit drug use and he required medication.

He was expected to be medically assessed over the weekend.

Detective Senior Constable Kyra McInnis, of the Portland police crime investigation unit, said Mr Cherry had been charged with 14 offences.

It's alleged Mr Cherry was involved in a minor theft from a service station and then got involved with police about 3pm Tuesday in Warrnambool.

He was seen in the Banyan Street area and was alleged to have driven on the wrong side of the road to evade police officers.

That's led to a charge of dangerous driving while being pursued by police.

The pursuit was terminated, but soon after it's alleged Mr Cherry was seen pulling into a residential driveway.

Police tried to block his escape, but it's alleged the front driver's side of his vehicle was rammed into a highway patrol vehicle's front right side as he collided head-on.

He was then able to reverse and flee from that property.

That's led to a charge of intentionally exposing police officer to risk by driving reckless which damaged an emergency service vehicle.

It's alleged Mr Cherry dumped the ramming vehicle in Dartmoor about 7pm.

Detective Senior Constable McInnis said police had also charged Mr Cherry with aggravated burglary and theft of another vehicle at Dartmoor about 9pm on Tuesday night.

That vehicle was located at a residential address in Mount Gambier and Mr Cherry was arrested about 10am on Wednesday.

On Thursday Detective Senior Constable McInnis went to Mount Gambier where she successfully applied to extradite Mr Cherry back to Victoria.

His case was then called in the Warrnambool court on Friday.

In a separate case, Hamilton man Joshua Graham Anderson, 29, also appeared in Warrnambool court on Friday and was remanded in custody.

There was a warrant out for his arrest.

On Friday officers from Portland, Hamilton, and Warrnambool crime investigation units and the dog squad, executed three search warrants at residential addresses in the Portland area.

Police seized a traffickable quantity of methamphetamine, allegedly stolen property as well as a homemade firearm and other drug paraphernalia.

He's been charged with trafficking drugs and been remanded in custody to appear in the Hamilton Magistrates Court this Wednesday.